Bowlby’s Attachment Theory
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Bowlby’s Attachment Theory Aleigha Simerly EDUC121-0AJ Dr J!lie Bil" December #$201%
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Attachment is &escribe& &escribe& as a &ee' an& en&!ring bon& that connects one 'erson to another across time an& s'ace ()c*eo& 200+, )ost o the time$ a baby’s mother is the 'rimary caregi.er/ some sit!ations may .ary who the 'rimary caregi.er may be The ethological theory o attachment is &ene& as the inant’s emotional tie to the caregi.er as an e.ol.e& e.ol.e& res'onse 'romotes 'romotes s!r.i.al (Ber (Ber 2012, John Bowlby was one o the rst 'eo'le who a''lie& the theory o attachment between the inant an& caregi.er bon& There ha.e been im'lications or the chil&’s eelings o sec!rity an& ca'acity to orm tr!sting relationshi's &!e to this theory (Ber 2012, John Bowlby an& )ary Ainsworth wore& together to create the com'lete theory/ Ainsworth a&&e& that the attachment g!re was the sec!re base or the inant to e'lore e'lore the worl& worl& (Bretherton (Bretherton 1++2, 1++2, Sa!l )c*eo& )c*eo& (200+, (200+, states3 Bowlby 'ro'ose& that attachment can be !n&erstoo& within an e.ol!tionary contet in that the caregi.er 'ro.i&es 'ro.i&es saety an& sec!rity or the inant/ attachment is a&a'ti.e as it enhances the inant’s chance o s!r.i.al 4hen looing at a t Bowlby’s theory more in &e'th$ we &isc!ss the 'hases that each chil& goes thro!gh Accor&ing Accor&ing to Bowlby$ the relationshi' between a mother an& inant begins by the 'arent being by the baby’s si&e/ o.er time$ a more a5ectionate bon& is orme& s well as a lo.ing$ sensiti.e care (Ber 2012, 6reattachment$ 6reattachment$ attachment in the maing$ clear-c!t clear-c!t
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attachment$ an& ormation o a reci'rocal relationshi' relationshi' are the o!r 'hases that are create& in the attachment 'rocess (Ber 2012, The 're-attachment 'hase begins when an inant is born !ntil they are si wees ol&/ &!ring this 'hase$ 'ha se$ the signals hel' the inant become taen care o by 'arents who comort them The signals incl!&e3 smiling$ crying$ looing into the 'arent’s eyes$ an& gras'ing ob7ects The baby may recogni"e their mother’s .oice along with smell an& .oice/ the baby will not be com'letely attache& to the mother thro!gho!t this 'hase D!ring the attachment in the maing 'hase$ a chil& is between si wees an& si to eight months Chil&ren ten& to res'on& to their reg!lar caregi.er caregi.er &i5erently than they wo!l& a stranger stranger The inant will begin to tr!st their caregi.er when they are signale& 8or eam'le$ eam'le$ when Carson cries beca!se he is h!ngry$ his mom will 'ic him !' an& he will begin to calm &own 9n this eam'le$ he has more tr!st in his mom 9n the clear-c!t attachment 'hase$ the ages range rom si to eight months to eighteen months to two years Attachment to the caregi.er is shown/ se'aration aniety is .ery common &!ring this stage Se'aration aniety is nown as an inant becoming !'set when their tr!ste& caregi.er lea.es lea.es This aniety .aries !'on chil&’s sit!ation so it &oesn’t ha''en to all chil&ren D!ring the nal 'hase$ the ormation o a reci'rocal relationshi'$ relationshi'$ the chil& is between the age o eighteen months to two years an& on 9n this 'hase$ the chil& is better !n&erstan&ing o the 'arent coming an& going/ when yo! tell him$ yo!
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are going to wor or school or .isiting gran&'a in the hos'ital$ he &oesn’t s!5er rom as m!ch se'aration aniety a niety (Ber 2012, These 'hases hel' create a relationshi' to where the 'arent can be a sec!re 'erson to the chil& to be close to This shows !s how an a n internal woring mo&el$ which is a set o e'ectations abo!t the a.ailability o attachment g!res$ their lielihoo& o s!''ort &!ring times o stress$ an& the sel’s interaction with those g!res (Ber 2012, This mo&el hel's create the chil&’s 'ersonality as well as their !t!re close relationshi's (Ber 2012, 4hile Bowlby st!&ie& the theory amongst )ary Ainsworth an& many other colleag!es$ he '!blishe& his rst ethological 'a'er in 1+;: (Bretherton (Bretherton 1++2, )ost o his colleag!es colleag!es were !ncon.ince& that ethology was rele.ant to a mother-chil& relationshi' (Bretherton 1++2, 9n his rst 'a'er is )other$? he e'lains the chil&’s tie to the mother in which nee& satisaction is seen as 'rimary an& attachment attachment as secon&ary (Bretherton (Bretherton 1++2, Bowlby too great 'lans to &raw a clear &istinction between the ol& social s ocial learning theory conce't o &e'en&ency an& the new conce't o attachment$ noting that attachment is no in&icati.e o regression$ regression$ b!t rather 'erorm a nat!ral$ healthy !nction e.en in a&!lt a &!lt lie (Bretherton 1++2, 9n his secon& 'a'er$
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se'aration (Bretherton 1++2, @obertson wore& alongsi&e him with these obser.ations >e i&entie& three 'hases o se'aration res'onse3 'rotest (relate& to se'aration aniety,$ &es'air (relate& to grie an& mo!rning,$ an& &enial or attachment (relate& to &eence mechanisms$ es'ecially regression,(Br regression,(Bretherton etherton 1++2, Bowlby mainte& that inants an& chil&ren e'erience se'aration aniety when a sit!ation acti.ates both esca'e an& attachment beha.ior b!t an attachment g!re is not a.ailable (Bretherton 1++2, D!ring this 'a'er$ Bowlby looe& at 8re!&’s claims/ ecessi.e se'aration aniety is &!e to a&.erse amily e'eriencese'eriences- s!ch as re'eate& threats o aban&onment or re7ection by 'arents-or to a 'arent’s or sibling’s illness or &eath or which the chil& eels res'onsible (Bretherto (Bretherton n 1++2, 9n his thir& 'a'er <rie <rie an& )o!rning in 9nancy an& Early Chil&hoo&$? he !estione& Anna 8re!&’s 8re!&’s i&eas stating the berea.e& inants cannot mo!rn beca!se o ins!cient ego &e.elo'ment an& thereore e'erience nothing more than brie bo!ts o se'aration aniety i an a&e!ate s!bstit!te caregi.er is a.ailable (Bretherton 1++2, 1++2, Bowlby claime& that tha t grie an& mo!rning 'rocesses in chil&ren an& a&!lts a''ear whene.er attachment beha.iors are acti.ate& b!t the attachment g!re contin!es to be !na.ailable (Bretherton 1++2, Also$ he s!ggeste& that an inability to orm &ee' relationshi's with others may res!lt when the s!ccession o s!bstit!tes is is too re!ent (Bretherton (Bretherton 1++2, D!ring each o these 'a'ers$ 9 e'laine& them in a less &etaile& manor to
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mae s!re to !n&erstan& !n&erstan& the conce't o them 9 &i& not !lly go into &e'th &!e to so many acts that co!l& be acco!nte& or Bretherton Bretherton (1++2, states3 is )other$?
Bowlby’s Attachment Theory
References
Berk, L. (2012). Emotional and Social Development in Infanc and !oddler"ood. In Infants,Children and Adolescents Adolescents (Sevent" (Sevent" ed., p. 2#$%2&'). e *ork+ *ork+ earson.
Bret"erton, I. (1''2, -anar 1). !"e /riins of ttac"ment !"eor+ -o"n Bol and 3ar insort". insort". Retrieved ovemer ove mer 1$, 201$, from "ttp+44.psc"olo. "ttp+44.psc"olo.sns.ed4attac"ment4online4ine5oriins.pdf sns.ed4attac"ment4online4ine5oriins.pdf
Bowlby’s Attachment Theory 3cLeod, S. (200', -anar -anar 1). ttac"ment !"eor. !"eor. Retrieved ovemer 16, 201$, from "ttp+44.simplpsc"olo. "ttp+44.simplpsc"olo.or4attac"ment."tml. or4attac"ment."tml.
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